A pop-up office emerged in the foyer of AMP Capital’s 50 Bridge Street tower this week.

Six different styles of working were on display, from a large shared project table, to wrap-around booths for quiet discussions. And everyone in the tower was encouraged to try them out.

AMP Capital’s managing director of office and industrial property,
Louise Mason,
said the aim was to provide tenants with a testing ground for all those work environments so AMP could provide “flexible space" for the future occupants of the tower.

“I used it myself this morning. Three others were also there," Ms Mason said.

AMP Capital is planning a $1 billion rejuvenation of its prime holdings in the block between Bridge Street and Circular Quay.

Beyond AMP’s ambitions, the Bridge Street pop-up office pointed to the way foyers are morphing into workspaces as technology allows greater flexibility in how people work, and workplace boundaries blur.

Several property organisations are looking at ways to make better use of the foyer, for the world beyond the coffee cart and for the overall benefit of all the tower’s occupants.

Significantly, the Bridge Street pop-up was created in conjunction with Hub Australia which is part of the global Hub network. This is a network that provides co-working spaces for interaction, community and innovation, for 5000 members in 40 locations around the world – including Melbourne, Sydney and, soon, Adelaide.

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Ms Mason said the flexibility of space would be a key feature of the future office. “People want to work differently; they want flexible space, but they also want to come together and collaborate," she said.

“As technology becomes a greater and greater influence on the workplace, people will crave even more interaction. . . to sit and toss ideas around."

The other partner in the Bridge Street pop-up is
Haworth
, a global provider of workspaces and office furniture which last year turned over $1.3 billion in sales.

Ms Mason said office furniture and fit-outs were changing quickly, in line with the flexibility of work styles.

The churn is so great that not only is the ­furniture changing, but so is the way it is ­provided and funded.

AMP Capital, which has operated from ­Circular Quay for 130 years, holds a 11,000 square metre site that includes its ­headquarters at 33 Alfred Street, its 50 Bridge Street tower and a number of properties in Young and Loftus streets.

Under the $1 billion proposal for the entire block, the 50 Bridge Street tower would be stripped back and then bulked up, doubling the property’s size to about 90,000 square metres, while retaining its current height.